head start: meaning and explanation
The meaning of the expression head start is an advantage you have over someone else. This could be in a competition (e.g. a race), or more generally (e.g. in life).
When you decide that someone should be given an advantage (usually to make a situation fairer), we can say that you should give them a head start. If the advantage already exists, you can say that someone has a head start.
We can use the prepositions over/against/on if you want to include the people or things that someone has an advantage over, e.g. My language skills gave me a bit of a head start over my colleagues.
Have a go at these micro-dictation exercises to hear this expression being used in context – how much can you understand?
Listening exercises
Micro-listening #1
Accent: Ireland
About the sentence
…Bringing children up to be bilingual…
Notice the important phrasal verb to bring someone up. Do you know the meaning?
Micro-listening #2
Accent: England (RP)
About the sentence
…Otherwise it won’t be a fair race…
Otherwise is a useful way of introducing a conditional sentence.
Otherwise = If not. e.g. You need to leave in the next 5 minutes. Otherwise you’ll miss your flight.
Micro-listening #3
Accent: Northern England
About the sentence
…the fact that I already work for the company…
The fact that is an extremely useful phrase in English. In this sentence, it is used to make a clause (I already work for the company) the subject of the sentence. e.g. The fact that I have done this kind of interview before should make the process a bit easier for me this time
Extra practice
Here are some questions/links to help you learn the new vocabulary:
- In your country, what kind of things might give someone a head start in life?
- Were you given a head start in life, or are you trying to give your children a head start in life?
